The present invention relates to a developer cartridge for storing a developer, a developing device having the developer cartridge, and an image forming apparatus having the developing device.
An electrophotographic image forming apparatus such as a printer, copier, facsimile machine or the like is configured to form a visualized image by uniformly charging a surface of a photosensitive body, exposing the surface of the photosensitive body to form a latent image, developing the latent image to form a developer image, and transferring the developer image to a printing medium.
The image forming apparatus includes a developing device for developing the latent image. A developer cartridge is detachably mounted to a main body of the developing device for supplying a developer to the main body of the developing device.
For example, Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2000-181224 discloses a developer cartridge including a fresh developer storage portion and a waste developer collecting portion.
The image forming apparatus is transported in such a manner that the developing device is assembled therein. The developer cartridge is packaged, and attached to an outside of the image forming apparatus.
However, there is a also case where the image forming apparatus is transported in such a manner that the developer cartridge is mounted to the developing device in the image forming apparatus. In such a case, the developer cartridge needs be fixed to the developing device by fixing members such as tapes or pins. Therefore, when a user sets up the image forming apparatus, the user has to remove the fixing members or the like, and an operational burden on the user increases. Further, disposal of the removed fixing members requires cost and labor.